Provenance

Bequeathed by the artist in 1816 to James White of Exeter (1744–1825), on whose death it passed to Towne’s residuary legatee John Herman Merivale (1779–1844) and his successors. Merivale’s granddaughters Maria Sophia Merivale (1853–1928) and Judith Ann Merivale (1860–1945), both of Oxford, inherited the drawing in May 1915 (BP16). The Barton Place catalogue states that Judith Merivale sold it to Squire Gallery in September 1934 for £6 6s., which is probably where it was acquired by Sir Michael Ernest Sadler (1861–1943), who certainly owned this drawing. On 26 October 1944 Sadler’s son Michael Thomas Harvey Sadleir (1888–1957) sold it to Agnew’s (no.4002) for £45, where it was bought on 16 January 1945 by Charles Richard Nairne Routh (1896–1976) for £70. On 23 December 1945 Routh sold it back to Agnew’s (no.4391) where it was bought on 21 January 1946 by David, Viscount Eccles (1904–1999), for £80. By 12 February 1952 it was owned by A. H. Horton, who sold it that day to Spink & Son. On 18 (Spink records) or 25 April 1952 (Agnew’s records) it was reacquired by Agnew’s (no.6871) from Spink & Son for £155. On 28 May 1952 Agnew’s sold it for £175 less commission of £1 15s. to Sir William Worsley, Bt (1890–1973), whose family sold it at Christie’s on 20 November 1984, lot 70, for £6,000 to Agnew’s (no.1043), who bought it on behalf of a private collector (see also 632), whereafter it is untraced.